The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to block certification of the Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses while another candidate with the same name is on the ballot. That's sparking fears of a lengthy battle between the U.S. government and states over certifying an election where President Donald Trump's party is struggling.
In Ohio, the backlash over a campaign advertisement attacking Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, has spread beyond the state's borders. The ad features Acton's estranged mother calling her "a liar."
Trump posted on social media Thursday that Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's ad was "hitting pay dirt" and that Acton was "fair game."
Trump’s aggressive defense of Ramaswamy practically guarantees that more of his party’s candidates will face questions about the issue. Acton's mother lost custody of her children after her husband was indicted for raping Acton.
Here’s the latest:
Trump opens Florida rally at Florida Gulf Coast University
“We love Florida,” Trump said as he opened an afternoon rally, celebrating that he’s back in his adopted home state.
He’s trying to boost Florida Sen. Ashley Moody as she seeks her first election after being appointed to the seat and Rep. Byron Donalds in his effort to be elected governor.
Trump opened by misrepresenting his 2024 vote totals, suggesting he got “millions and millions” more votes than any other candidate ever has.
Trump got more than 77 million votes in 2024. But Democrat Joe Biden got 81 million votes to defeat Trump in 2020.
Omar responds to Trump claim about her name
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is responding directly to Trump claiming that she has an entirely different name and will not be allowed to be a member of the House.
“Whenever the news turns bad, this creep reaches for one name: mine. So let’s make it crystal clear. My name has always been Ilhan Omar,” the congresswoman said in a social media post on X. “Maybe you should focus on what your VP’s real name is.”
Trump’s comments came in a Truth Social post.
Omar’s name has been listed in court records as such for nearly two decades. She sought two marriage licenses under her name, twice filed for divorce under that same name and has numerous traffic and parking tickets under her name. She is also registered to vote under the name.
From 2009 to 2017 she was married to a man named Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. His last name is the one Trump now claims is her correct name. But in their marriage and divorce filings, she always used the name Ilhan Omar and did not adopt his name.
Greeting Trump, DeSantis says midterms ‘all about the turnout’ for Republicans
On the Southwest Florida International Airport tarmac as Trump landed Friday, GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis predicted wins for Republicans in tight Senate races as long as turnout is robust.
“If people come out, if our people vote, I think we’ll win, not just in Florida, but some of these other Senate races that are close,” DeSantis said, welcoming the president “back to his home state.”
As the president brings his midterm blitz to Florida, DeSantis said “no one does it better” than the president when it comes to energizing voters.
“If they vote, we’re going to win big,” Trump said.
According to an Associated Press analysis of early voting two weeks before Election Day, voter turnout is soaring compared with the last midterm election in many of the states expected to decide control of the U.S. Senate.
Trump says he ordered the Justice Department lawsuit over Alaska’s US Senate race
President Donald Trump said he told his administration to file a lawsuit to block certification of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, kicking off what many fear could become a lengthy battle between the government and states over certifying an election where the president's party is struggling.
“I’m the one that said do it,” Trump told reporters as he landed for a campaign rally in Florida.
The lawsuit centers on one of the president’s longstanding complaints in the Senate race — the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan who Republican fear could siphon away votes from the incumbent in what’s likely to be a photo-finish contest with Democrat Mary Peltola, the state’s former congresswoman.
The second Dan Sullivan, who is Daniel J. Sullivan from the tiny fishing community of Petersburg, has said he decided to run on his own, but Republicans have contended he is a Democratic plant to siphon votes away from their candidate.
Republican congressman from Iowa releases new video featuring Democratic supporters
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican, is emphasizing his bipartisan support in the final week of his reelection campaign. His new political advertisement includes some Democrats saying directly to camera that they’re backing Nunn over Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott, a state senator.
Nunn is seeking his third term representing the district that includes Des Moines, the fast-growing suburbs to the city’s west, and rural counties in southern Iowa. While Republicans outnumber Democrats in each of the three targeted House races in Iowa, Nunn’s has the smallest GOP advantage.
One member of the Des Moines city council identifies himself in the ad as a moderate Democrat who is ticket-splitting this year.
“I’m supporting Rob Sand, and I strongly support Zach Nunn,” Mike Simonson says in the ad. Sand is the Democrat running for governor.
Trump says Musk should not be blamed for Starshield disruption in Ukraine
Trump brushed off questions about the role Elon Musk played in disruptions to service between the satellite system he owns and the drones Ukraine uses to fight Russia.
“Elon will never do anything wrong,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “I know him very well. He’s a fair person.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that service remained slow from Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service. The disruption produced speed restrictions on Ukrainian drones, which have been unable to intercept Russia’s jet-powered drones.
Trump said he hadn’t heard that there are still problems with the service, and declined to comment on who ordered the restrictions to Starshield, telling a reporter, “I wouldn’t tell you if I did know.”
Trump suggests NFL should postpone this weekend’s Paris game because of unrest
“The NFL could have probably postponed that match if you want to know,” Trump told reporters. “France is really in trouble, that’s what happens when you go left.”
Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints is scheduled to go ahead despite recent civil unrest in Paris and other cities in France. More demonstrations are planned for this weekend.
The protests in France were originally sparked by high school and university students demanding better school funding, smaller class sizes, and other reforms to the country’s education system, but have morphed into a broader outlet for public anger about rising costs and the government’s effort to tighten its budget.
While tens of millions have taken to the streets, some rioters have used the demonstrations as cover for looting and destroying government property.
Vivek Ramaswamy defends ad accusing Amy Acton of lying
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy accused his opponent in the Ohio governor’s race, Democrat Amy Acton, of lying about the ad he’s running, which features her mother calling her “a liar.”
“The irony is they’re lying about an ad that is about lying,” Ramaswamy said.
Speaking at a campaign stop in Strongsville, Ohio, he added that the ad had “nothing to do” with childhood abuse. Acton’s mother lost custody of her children after her husband was indicted for raping Acton.
“They’re changing the subject,” Ramaswamy said, “because they don’t want to answer for their own failures.”
The advertisement also includes Acton’s mother insinuating her daughter has mental health issues. Acton is Ohio’s former public health director and has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child.
Acton has condemned Ramaswamy for the ad.
“I won’t normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is just something I’m complaining about,” she told Spectrum News, a cable news outlet in Ohio.
Judge allows Trump’s tree cutting at a historic DC golf course to resume
The historic public golf course at East Potomac Park is one of several Trump projects in D.C. that are embroiled in lawsuits challenging the president’s remake of the city. Trump wants to turn it into a professional-level course.
On Thursday evening, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes denied a request to extend her temporary order that had stopped the National Park Service from cutting more trees at the park.
Reyes ordered the halt on Oct. 13, after a holiday weekend when the government, with little notice, cut down more than 400 trees with plans to cut hundreds more. The actions led to eight hours of court hearings.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit trying to block Trump’s renovation had sought to extend the stoppage. The order lapses Oct. 26, and Trump has said work would begin “immediately” on the course.
Trump doubles down on support for Ramaswamy on ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother
Leaving the White House Friday, Trump said "no" when asked if he had reconsidered his support for the Ohio campaign advertisement attacking Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton, following criticism from other Republicans.
The president engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter asking if the president knew about the backstory behind the ad from Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. The spot features Acton’s mother, who lost custody of her children decades ago after her husband was indicted for raping Acton as a child.
“You don’t know that,” Trump said, of the abuse allegations, adding that Acton’s mother had an “obligation” to tell voters “that her daughter is a liar.”
Zelenskyy urges trilateral talks with Trump and Putin
The Ukrainian president said he spoke with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner just before appearing remotely for an address at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank.
Witkoff and Zelenskyy met earlier this week in Oslo, Norway, about ways to end Russia’s war in Ukraine before Witkoff went on to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.
Putin says he agreed to trilateral talks next month with Trump and Zelenskyy, who on Friday said “we need these meetings, and we need diplomacy to move forward.”
Zelenskyy says we “cannot have these meetings without America” and that Ukraine was counting on the U.S. to “give this priority at every level.”
He said reaching a “ceasefire is point number one” and then after that would be sorting out security guarantees. Russian officials have resisted a ceasefire and said they want to broker a comprehensive settlement to end the war.
Trump says Republicans aren’t losing in Mississippi
The president has a rather eyebrow-raising addition to his midterm travel schedule: a stop Monday in deep-red Mississippi, where GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is up for reelection.
Asked about the visit Friday, Trump said he won the state by 32 points and “they’ve asked me to go,” without specifying who “they” were.
“I look forward to it. And Cindy Hyde-Smith, you know, Cindy Hyde is fantastic,” Trump said. “She’s very popular. She’s up in the polls. She’s not losing.”
Trump to vote this weekend in Florida
The president is an early voter.
“I think we’re voting tomorrow in Florida,” Trump told reporters as he was preparing to depart for a rally in Fort Myers and a weekend in Palm Beach, where his club is located.
Early voting in Palm Beach County began Monday and runs through Nov. 1.
At another point in the gaggle with journalists, Trump was asked about this year’s early voting figures and which party that benefited.
“Nobody knows,” he responded.
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This post has been corrected to show that early voting in Trump’s home county runs from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, not Oct. 24 through Oct. 31.
Trump administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska Senate race
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to block certification of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. Another candidate with the same name is on the ballot.
This move has sparked concerns about a lengthy battle between the U.S. government and states over election certification. The Department of Justice filed the lawsuit Thursday, demanding Alaska be blocked from certifying a win for Democrat Mary Peltola if the other Sullivan remains on the ballot.
The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to remove the other Sullivan.
Mamdani to campaign with Gov. Hochul in Brooklyn
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is hitting the campaign trail with Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday, bringing a bit of progressive shine to her reelection run.
The democratic socialist mayor will join the more moderate governor at McCarren Park in Brooklyn — a liberal hotspot — to chat with voters and hand out campaign flyers, Hochul’s campaign said.
Hochul is hoping for heavy support from Democrats in the Big Apple in her race against Republican Bruce Blakeman, a local official from Long Island who's aligned with President Donald Trump.
The pair of Democrats, who have struck up a political alliance despite some ideological differences, will also hold a canvassing event in Brooklyn on Sunday. Mamdani endorsed Hochul earlier this year and has been revving up his public support for her as the election nears.
Zelenskyy says Starshield is still facing restrictions in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is still experiencing Starlink and Starshield speed throttling, and missile interceptor shipments are still being withheld.
In a remote address to the Washington think tank Hudson Institute, Zelenskyy said Friday that the limits on “Starlink and Starshield are still there and this has not been restored.”
And he says his country is still awaiting the delivery of Patriot “interceptors to protect us against Russian ballistic missiles” and hopes the U.S. administration will provide those weapons.
His comments come as the Trump administration has given mixed messages as to who is responsible for the slowdown in the Elon Musk-built satellite internet system.
Melania Trump helps forge a ceasefire deal in Russian-occupied Oleshky, the White House says
First lady Melania Trump has brokered an upcoming ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the war-ravaged city of Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians, the White House announced on Friday.
The localized ceasefire is set to begin Oct. 29.
The White House said that the first lady had initiated the discussions and that she and a representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the ceasefire. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian or the Russian governments.
The first lady has made helping children in conflict one of her signature issues, hosting a U.N. Security Council meeting on the issue earlier this year. She also has personally written to Russian President Vladimir Putin to work to reunite children displaced by the war with their families.
GOP Rep. Ralph Norman’s son is endorsing a Democrat in the South Carolina Senate race
In an op-ed Friday, Warren Norman wrote that he is supporting the Republican gubernatorial nominee but not Republican Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham.
Norman’s father lost the special GOP Senate primary to Graham earlier this year. The developer and lifelong Republican writes “there is no true conservative to vote for in this election,” adding that backing Annie Andrews “will be the first time in my life I’ve voted for a Democrat in a partisan election.”
Norman adds there hasn't been enough said in the race to replace the late senator about what "Graham will actually do for South Carolina, or whether she'll stand up to the people funding her campaign when it counts."
Some of Rep. Ralph Norman’s supporters have mounted a write-in campaign, and the congressman has said he wouldn’t campaign with Graham.
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro does 2 new ads for Democratic candidates in key races for the state legislature
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is appearing in two new ads for state Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, where he’s running for reelection and pushing for his party to win control of the Legislature.
The ads are part of an overall $10 million campaign as Shapiro tries to flip control of the state Senate from Republicans for the first time in over three decades.
Speaking directly to the camera, Shapiro says he needs Democrats to help him pass a higher minimum wage and control data center development. The ads are for candidates in the Philadelphia suburbs and northeastern Pennsylvania.
Shapiro is running for reelection against Republican Stacy Garrity this year and is considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
In addition to legislative candidates, he’s been campaigning around the state for swing seat House candidates challenging Republican incumbents.
Susan Collins uses Troy Jackson’s ‘shut up’ debate line in new ad
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins is out with a new ad capitalizing on her opponent Troy Jackson's debate comment telling her to "shut up."
“Troy has something to say to Maine women. Shut up,” the ad’s narrator says.
The ad references a comment Jackson made during a debate Oct. 15, when Collins said a person disrupting the event was "obviously one of Troy's supporters."
Jackson responded: “Oh, shut up. I don’t even know that kid.”
He added later that he didn't regret the statement and that he had no idea who the person interrupting the debate was.
Jackson campaign spokesperson Maggie Amjad called the new ad part of a series of personal attacks. “Maine women know which candidate is fighting for them, and it’s Troy Jackson,” Amjad said in an emailed statement.
Collins, the only Republican running this year in a state Kamala Harris carried in 2024, is seeking a 6th term. Jackson, a Democrat, is a former state Senate president and lumberjack.
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